doxology

I grew up in a tradition where we sang the Doxology nearly every Sunday. As a child and young teen, it was just formality and ritual. It had no meaning to me. At OCC we sing the New Doxology. Sometimes it takes a new version of a song to help us really listen to the words. And in this case, hear the praise and adoration. 

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow

What a great prayer starter.

What an affirmation of our God and creator.

Starting prayer with this affirmation helps to shift my mind: off my stuff into a different place.

If you have ever attended a leadership seminar or a workshop on communicating, you have probably done the Word Emphasis exercise: you  take a sentence and put the emphasis on a different word each time you say the sentence, and the meaning of the sentence changes each time. 

Try that with the first line of the Doxology.

   Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow
   Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow
   Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow
   Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow
   Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow

Think about this in these terms:

• I will PRAISE God for all I have… not complain about what we think we “have to do”, but rather Praise for what I have and what I GET to do.
• I will praise GOD… not my checking account or my house or my skills (which come from God) or my title.
• I did not earn what I have. I do not deserve the blessings. I can’t buy blessings in a store or order them on line or create them in a laboratory. They are all… everyone of them… from God who is the FROM WHOM.
• Everything (ALL) is a gift from God… not just the things I like or can understand. And not only that, but, everything (ALL) belongs to God, and I am merely a steward for the owner.
• And… the things God gives me are BLESSINGS… not curses or things to be regretted or get frustrated about… they are blessings.

So, as you face each new day, with it's challenges and joys, begin with this little exercise and see if it changes your perspective about... all those things on your list.

Do you see them as blessings from God? Do you praise Him for them? Try it.